Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1887-02-24

indianapolis Jourual.l


Prof. Rufus c. Wells is thoroughly
American, and the rlilnors OF war fol-
lowing the iish-bait difficulty between
this country and Canada have deeply
interested him. III war comes said
the veteran skinner OF the air to-
journal reporter. II am ready to offer
my services. Aeronautics will here;tf-
ter play IA more important part III
warfare than ever before. | would
propose to the government to make
the same kind OF balloon ! made for
the French government, making 1T
however, fully 300 feet in length. Such
a balloon would of course he able to
carry n great weight. Let me expiain
how it could he used to protect har-
Dor like New York or Boston. \ cable
attached to the balloon would he con
nectcd with I'm immense windlass on
shore. Prevailing winds on our east
ern coast are from the west. The bal
loon could he let out by the cable Just
like u kite. II could be sent out five.
ten. fifteen, twenty. oreven twenty-five
miles to sen. There would he u tele-
graph operator on the air-ship and
one ut the windlass, so that commu-
nication could be kept mp between the
two--or telephone communication
would answer. The balloon maneusred
/ in this way could be brought directly
over an enemy's war vessel. Balls
dropped from the balloon could d.
termine whether directly over the ship
or not. and when the exact position
was found dynamite in any quantity
up to even n ton could be dropped
| upon the ship. This. oi course would
mean annihilation to any vessel so
operated upon.
\ hnrbor with dynamite balloon
poised over it's entrance in this way
would be safe from all invasion. In
Chirago | spoke TO Gen. Phil. sheridan
of my method OF hai Dor defense. He
wa, much Interested and invited me
to call on him at Washington and
give him "a full explanation, The bal
| loon could he raised or lowered toany
hesht BY conhpressing the gas. such
balloons could be operated on our
Canadian border, and by means of
d,samite, We could destroy any army
sent agains, us. san Francisco couii
be protected by balloons in the same
way, though perhaps there would he
more dliicuii ic; to overcome on ar-
count oi the difference in the prevail
ing Wind on the Pacific coast
II haze invented a war kite. OH
which intend to take out Il patent.
1,'hes,. kites will he operated Just as
The balloons. by means OF II windlass,
with an ueronaut or telearapher on
the kite to communicate with the
shore The kite can be made several
hundred Ieat in length, and carry ii
required. Il ton of dynamite. \ kite
could lie used III windy weather better
than IA balloon, ana it could, also. OF
course. be used when there was only IA
liahl breeze. There il no doubt about
the accuracy with which dynamite
could be dropped down upon an in
vader. The new dies >trlrrtiye sub tiin,e
recently experimental with in rance
could he used ju,t rs eifeotua ly as
!, dynamite. would be willing to op-
crate these balloons or kites myself
and to teach Others TO operate them.
: All these things, in caSe of threatened
war. can bc got ready in n month =
time Hundreds of them would hr
needed 10 defend our COASTS. but |
have no doubt whatever OF the full
~ilttss that would attend their OPP
: ,.l.tf ION